


When You're Gone

by Kh530



Series: Jason Todd's Birthday Week/ JayRoy Week [3]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman Incorporated (Comics), Forever Evil (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Bruce Wayne is a Good Dad, Bruce Wayne is emotionally constipated but HE TRIES, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Jason is very fucking angsty and he's allowed to be, Post Batman Incorporated, Post Forever Evil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-12-14 19:30:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11789922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kh530/pseuds/Kh530
Summary: Post Batman Incorporated #9. Post Forever Evil.With two of his brothers dead on the anniversary of his own death, it's surprising to no one that Jason's feeling like shit.





	When You're Gone

**Author's Note:**

> I’m not sure if this matches up 100% timeline wise, but after an hour of searching the wiki, I got mad. So basically this takes place while Dick and Damian are dead. Probably like right before Damian comes back from the dead. Seriously though, comic timelines make me wanna walk myself off a cliff. 
> 
> Also sorry this is short and late. Life happens and speaking of which, the next prompt (one costume) will be skipped cuz I got nothing for that one.

Prompt 3: One Parental Figure 

Jason couldn’t believe that it had been five months. That five months ago his older brother had been unmasked on live television and had been killed by those same people not even a day later. That eight months ago his younger brother had been murdered by clone Talia, the kid’s mother, had created, for fuck’s sake. Both times his brothers could have used his help--and both times he wasn’t fucking there. He hadn’t been there to save Damian or Dick. 

And Jason hated it. He hated that he’s been useless to save them. Despite everything, despite every fight, every argument and injury they’d inflicted on each other, they were still Jason’s brothers. And that meant something to him, damnit. Even if he often liked to act like they didn’t mean a thing.The fights, the arguments, everything--it did matter to him, even if it was a lot easy for Jason to pretend that they didn’t. 

He hated how shitty he felt without them. He hated that there were two huge, gaping gaps in this fucked up family of his. He hated the pressure of trying to fill Dick’s shoes--to be the big brother, to try to make sure that Tim didn’t fall apart (or overdose on coffee or some shit). Hell, to make sure that Bruce didn’t fall apart, to make sure everything didn’t fall to Alfred.

It was so overwhelming and it just wasn’t fair. Dick and Damian weren’t supposed to be dead. Dick should be here right now doing some crazy stunt no one else could do (without probably dying) or trying to get all of them to ‘bond’ or hitting on some redhead or blow up the fucking kitchen again. Damian should be glaring at Tim or playing with Titus or hell even feeding the damn cow he’d brought into the Batcave. They shouldn’t be dead. It just wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair.

In that moment, in the pouring rain in the cemetery on the Wayne grounds, in front of his brothers’ graves, Jason couldn’t help but feel like he was the brother that should be dead--that he was the Robin that should be dead. Not Dick. Not Damian. Him. He should be in a grave right now--in a wood coffin, six feet under. Not his brothers. Not his brothers who had so much left to do, so much left to live for. 

Maybe if he’d stayed dead, if he’d never come back from the dead and been restored by the Lazarus Pit, then maybe, just maybe--Jason felt a hand grip his shoulder. Jason flinched, grabbing his gun from the holster at his side, and turning towards the figure, only for it to be Bruce. For once the man was actually dressed as Bruce Wayne instead of his batty alterego. 

“I should have known better than startle you,” Bruce said, looking rather guilty. 

Jason turned away from the older man, putting his gun back in its holster, looking at the two graves in front of him once again. 

“It should have been me,” Jason said, unable to keep his voice from cracking. “I should be dead. I was the dead Robin. It should have been me. Not Damian. Not Dic-”

“No.” Bruce interrupted his older son, gripping the man’s shoulder tightly, as if he would never let go--like he never should have let him go in the first place. “Don’t say that. Please don’t say that, Jason.”

Jason looked away from the older man and Bruce frowned. “Jason… I know I don’t say this enough, but… I’m glad you’re alive, Jaylad. I am so glad you’re alive. No matter what happens--no what has happened or what will happen,”

Jason honestly couldn’t believe what he was hearing--or could keep the tears from falling down his cheeks at that point. On today of all days--on the day the Jason had died--on the day that he’d been taken from this world at fifteen years old– it meant so much to hear those words from his mentor– from his father.

And in this rare moment, Bruce hugged his son, pulling him close to him. “I am so glad you’re alive, Jason. Please, don’t ever forget that.”

**Author's Note:**

> Jason not being there for when Damian is a reference to Batman Incorporated when Jason was kidnapped by The Hood (who ended up working for Spiral) when Damian got killed. As for why Jason didn’t do anything/have any reaction during/to Forever Evil when Dick both died and ‘died’ well...your guess is as good as mine. Fucking comics, man. Even publication-wise, it doesn’t make much sense. The Outlaws were a team back then. Kori and Jason both knew (and cared about?) Dick (not sure so much about Roy during that time) so I don’t know why we didn’t get any reaction about that at all (as far as I know). 
> 
> ANYWAY, this A/N got long so thanks for reading and feel free to check out my tumblr at Jasontoddstrashcan!


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